Not coal seam gas but renewable energy

The Socialist Alliance adopted a coal seam gas policy at its June 26 National Council meeting. The policy appears below.

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The gas industry is rapidly increasing its scope in the Australian energy market. Gas is talked up by some as a clean energy source, or as a “transition fuel”, while we develop renewable energies. But gas is a fossil fuel. Burning it creates carbon emissions.

For a safe climate, we need to cut net emissions almost totally within the next decade. In fact, we then have to move below zero net emissions: to draw down more carbon than we produce.

The single biggest contribution to a safe climate future in Australia will come through making the switch to 100% renewables*, with stationary energy currently responsible for 51% of our total emissions.

Australia's approach to stationary energy must acknowledge the science and use society’s resources to give us a chance at a safe climate future. This means no new gas.

Particular concerns with mining coal seams for gas — that require policy to address existing projects — include possible water, air and environmental contamination with toxic and radioactive compounds, salt and heavy metals; damage to aquifers and groundwater systems; gas explosions and flammability; the sizeable footprint of gas fields and the networks of wellheads, pipelines and roads that fragment the environment; fugitive emissions and truck movements.



Coal seam gas mining has also been linked to increased rates of cancer, kidney, heart, lung and neurological problems, asthma, eye irritation, endocrine disruption and headaches.

Socialist Alliance campaigns for:

• A public inquiry into the health, safety and environmental impacts of coal seam gas mining.

• A moratorium on all coal seam gas mining until outcome of inquiry.

• A ban on all coal seam gas mining under cities; water catchment, supply and storage areas; farmland; and other environmentally significant areas.

• A ban on hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”).

• No new coal seam gas mines or power plants; and invest in renewables. Investment in energy must be limited to technologies that can move us to a zero emissions economy, not commit us to other carbon polluting technologies.

* The Zero Carbon Australia 2020 (ZCA2020) Stationary Energy Plan shows that Australia could meet all its energy needs from 100% renewables within 10 years, using technology that is commercially available today. It is the product of collaboration between the University of Melbourne Energy Research Institute and Beyond Zero Emissions.